Pushed to the Edge: Teachers' Stories from the Culture Wars

by Sue Granzella

Powerful tales of resilience, from educators and librarians in the face of the growing bigotry stoked by the far right

“Heartbreaking yet hopeful, Pushed to the Edge is a powerful revelation of the war taking place against public school teachers and their students.” —JoAnne Tompkins, author of What Comes After



When the Proud Boys stormed a library near her former school to disrupt a Drag Story Hour, veteran public school teacher Sue Granzella knew she had to respond. Drawing on more than thirty years in the classroom, she began documenting the stories of fellow educators and librarians across California who have been harassed and threatened for teaching honestly about race, gender, immigration, religion, and sexuality. Many would be surprised to hear that it’s happening in California, the state long considered the haven of liberals and the pinnacle of acceptance and tolerance. If states such as Florida and Texas have been the canary-in-the-coalmine of nascent culture wars, California is now the disaster siren, screaming a state of emergency.





Pushed to the Edge is a powerful and timely collection of first-person accounts from the front lines of today’s escalating culture wars. Cassandra, a young, queer woman of color and an award-winning teacher, was shattered by homophobia and viciously emboldened parents, and was ultimately forced to leave the job she’d dreamed of since kindergarten. In Temecula, educators mobilized their community to try to overthrow the majority-Christian nationalist school board determined to eliminate the teaching of Black history. While rooted in California, the book’s insights and urgency resonate nationwide—offering both a sobering view of what’s at stake in our schools and our libraries and a hopeful testament to those who refuse to back down.

272 pages, Hardcover

Published April 7, 2026

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to Pushed to the Edge after many years of knowing Sue Granzella, first as a student in a creative writing class when she was still teaching elementary school. Now, as then, she is tenacious, compassionate, and an incredibly gifted writer. In her first book, she blends crack reporting on the disparities in the California educational system - how in this purportedly most liberal of states, some teachers are subjected to attacks and harassment and hung out to dry by their administrators and communities - with the scenes and dialogue of her meetings with these teachers, and scenes from her 32 years of teaching. I ripped through it. This would be a great book to buy for teacher trainings, book clubs, and discussion groups. It's heartbreaking, surprising, and sometimes infuriating, but ultimately hopeful and contains some very important truth-telling. I really can't recommend it enough.

[John Gehrke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read, which is the last thing you would expect looking at the title. I was expecting something more like a text book. The good news is Granzella is first and foremost a storyteller so you get all the facts and figures through compelling to read stories. I have talked to a few fellow readers who would say, "I couldn't put it down" which, again, was unexpected given the seriousness of the title. I likened it to reading a fable, enjoyable to read with lessons snuck in that educate you or drinking a delicious smoothy only to find out it was full of healthy stuff. That said, if you are at all interested in learning what is currently going on in our public schools and libraries, Granzella will guide you through with curated stories of teachers and librarians on the front lines. You just have to get the title.

[Patrick Burns · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pushed to the Edge is a deeply personal and illuminating look at the realities of teaching today.

Sue Granzella weaves together firsthand accounts from classrooms across California with stories from her own career, creating something that feels both sobering and deeply human. The book doesn’t shy away from the pressures and challenges facing educators, but it also highlights the resilience, creativity, and care teachers bring to their students every day.

What stayed with me most was the balance of humor, heartbreak, and a deep kindness at the core of her teaching philosophy.

An important read for anyone who cares about learning, children, and education today.

[Barbara Ridley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a powerful read. Granzella combines insightful anecdotes from her own long career in teaching, with skillful investigative journalism as she travels around California interviewing teachers who have found themselves in the crosshairs of the right-wing backlash against those who are trying to advocate for and protect LGBTQ+ students, or those from racial minorities. There are many horrific accounts here of harassment and doxxing and outrageous book bans, yes even in liberal California, but the dedication and courage of all these teachers comes shining through. An important message for our times.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a gift to everyone who cares about children, teachers, libraries, public education, community, and democracy. With tremendous heart, Sue Granzella takes us into the lives of teachers and librarians who are taking great risks to build schools and communities where all students, including the most vulnerable and stigmatized, can grow and thrive. Their stories are by turns inspiring, infuriating, and funny. Stories from Granzella's decades in the classroom add perspective, context, poignancy, and laughter to the mix.

[Chivvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is invaluable for understanding the cultural divide in our schools today. Sue Granzella journeys across California, interviewing teachers and telling their stories and the stories of the students they teach. With courage, compassion and joy, she shows us how teachers, administrators and students experience and meet the criticism, even hatred, coming at them, and what they are doing to ensure our schools respect every student in the face of prejudice and harassment. Told with empathy and humor, this book is a must for anyone who cares what is happening in our schools today.

[Lorena Sanchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Sue has captured the stories of quiet strength and resilience which live within our schools. From teachers being bullied for teaching empathy to librarians being doxxed, sue weaves their stories seamlessly with her memories from the classroom. As a former third grade teacher myself, I heard many of my own feelings reflected throughout this book. I recommend this to anyone who works or has worked with children.

[Carina Assayed · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue Granzella brings to life some of the most vulnerable moments of being a classroom teacher today. Teaching can often feel isolating with few who get the depth to which this profession asks of us; these beautifully written stories made me feel like I was in a room full of like-minded teachers finally being heard.

[Lori Ostlund · Rating 5 out of 5]

Granzella brings together personal narrative, research, and the stories of those working in education via compelling storytelling. An important book for teachers, librarians, parents, and really anyone who cares about education.

[John R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sue Granzella writes an extremely compelling book of how the culture wars are impacting teachers, schools and communities…a MUST read!

[Carlo Corti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such thoughtful and meaningful insights for a profession at the forefront of so much of our society's most important battles and questions.

[Cathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are a parent, teacher, librarian or someone else who cares deeply about public education, you’ll find that this book provides a sensitive overview of the lack of cultural acknowledgement often found in American classrooms. Topics like race, gender, and social equity are addressed through data and personal anecdotes. While the future of education is sometimes portrayed as a bleak landscape filled with divisiveness and discrimination, Sue Granzella gives us hope that in the end, empathy can win. Read this book! You won’t regret it!